Protesters march against mass water shutoffs in Detroit, Michigan on July 18, 2014. (Pictured at second-from-left: Maureen Taylor, chair of Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, a co-sponsoring organization of the rally.)Joshua Lott/Getty Images Written by Olivia Wein, Karen Lusson, & Berneta Haynes, National Consumer Law Center Co-authored with Larry Levine & Sam Whillans, Natural [...]
Report Executive Summary Appendix 1: Other Invasive Robocalls Appendix 2: Scam Robocalls in the States Tables Press Release Published June 1, 2022 ©National Consumer Law Center, Inc. and Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Overview Every month, more than one billion scam robocalls designed to steal money from unsuspecting telephone subscribers are made [...]
COVID and Utility Arrearages The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the fact that millions of Americans cannot afford the bills for utility service that keep the lights on, the food in the refrigerator cold, the air conditioning running in the summer, and the heating system running in the winter. In order to protect [...]
By Olivia Wein (National Consumer Law Center) and Cheryl Leanza (United Church of Christ) Cross-posted with The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the United Church of Christ, OC Inc. More than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is certain: Our lives have forever changed — and daily reliance on digital [...]
By Karen Lusson, National Consumer Law Center staff attorney. Co-authored with Deron Lovaas and Larry Levine of the NRDC. Utility services--electricity, heat, water, sanitation, telecommunications, and internet access--are essential to health, safety, and daily life. The vital need for uninterrupted utility service was evident before the coronavirus pandemic, but the COVID-19 public health emergency [...]
This blog is co-authored by Olivia Wein (National Consumer Law Center) and Larry Levine (NRDC) For many of us, the accelerating rollout of COVID-19 vaccines provides hope for a light at the end of the tunnel. But the vaccines are still in a race against time, with COVID-19 again resurging in many states. Maintaining access [...]
State utility commissions set the rules regarding when and how the companies they regulate can terminate vital electric and gas service for non-payment. For households with a seriously ill person, strong rules, as detailed in this report, can mean the difference between life and death. Report Summary Tables Appendix A: Serious Illness Criteria In [...]
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread through the United States, with its accompanying economic shutdown, several states adopted a moratorium on terminations of utility service. However, in most states that adopted moratoriums, those termination prohibitions have already expired or will within the next few months. Legislators and utility regulators must act now to extend these moratoriums [...]
Part 1 of 2 on consumer protections needed during and after COVID-19. By John Howat, Senior Energy Analyst, National Consumer Law Center July 8, 2020 The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s most recent Electric Power Monthly, released on June 24, provides sales, price and revenue data by end-use sector and Census Division for April, 2020. Data [...]
Cross-posted with the United Church of Christ, OC, Inc. and the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights By Olivia Wein, National Consumer Law Center and Cheryl Leanza, United Church of Christ, OC, Inc. If you are reading this on your smartphone or laptop, you are fortunate to have access to internet service. More than 20 [...]
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